Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 97

Devanagari script

तारस्तारतृतीयो बिंद्वंतोमणिपदं ततः कर्णिके । प्रणवात्मिपदं केन म इति मनुसंख्यवर्णमनुः

Transliteration

tārastāratṛtīyo biṃdvaṃtomaṇipadaṃ tataḥ karṇike | praṇavātmipadaṃ kena ma iti manusaṃkhyavarṇamanuḥ

Translation

ഈ മന്ത്രം ‘താര’യും മൂന്നാമത്തെ ‘താര’യും ചേർന്ന് രൂപപ്പെടുന്നു; അവസാനം ബിന്ദു, തുടർന്ന് പദ്മത്തിന്റെ കർണികയിൽ സ്ഥിതമായ ‘മണി’ പദം വരുന്നു. ഇത് പ്രണവാത്മകം; ‘കേന’ പദവും ‘മ’ അക്ഷരവും ചേർന്ന്, നിശ്ചിത ഗണനപ്രകാരം വർണ്ണസംഖ്യയുള്ള മന്ത്രമാകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• तारः: ‘tāra’ (the syllable Tāra)
• तारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (अत्र बीजाक्षर-नाम)

• तारतृतीयः: the third is ‘tāra’ / ‘tāra’ as the third
• तारतृतीयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तार + तृतीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः—तत्पुरुष (‘तारः तृतीयः’ / ‘तारे तृतीयः’)

• बिन्दु: the bindu (dot)
• बिन्दु: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बिन्दु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अन्तः: the end
• अन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मणिपदम्: the ‘maṇi’ syllable/word
• मणिपदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मणि + पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (‘मणेः पदम्’)

• ततः: then / thereafter
• ततः: Avyaya (Adverbial/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) ‘thereafter/then’

• कर्णिके: in the pericarp (of the lotus/yantra)
• कर्णिके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्णिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• प्रणवात्मिपदम्: the syllable whose essence is praṇava
• प्रणवात्मिपदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रणव + आत्मन् + पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (‘प्रणवात्मा यत् पदम्’ = the syllable whose essence is praṇava)

• केन: by what? / with which?
• केन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• म: ‘ma’
• म: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: म (अव्यय/निपात)
• Form: अव्यय; बीजाक्षर-रूपेण (seed syllable)

• इति: thus
• इति: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/समाप्ति-निपात (quotative particle)

• मनुसंख्यवर्णमनुः: the mantra (manu) having syllables equal to the number of Manus
• मनुसंख्यवर्णमनुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनु + संख्या + वर्ण + मनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (मनुसंख्याः वर्णाः यस्य सः मनुः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī Khaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A diagrammatic yet devotional scene: a radiant lotus in the heart-space, the mantra syllables arranged around the pericarp; ‘tāra’ syllables shining like stars, praṇava at the center, bindu as a luminous dot crowning the sequence; Kāśī’s skyline faintly behind.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mantras are not random sounds; they are transmitted with precise components and structure, intended to lead the mind toward liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting remains Kāśī in the Kāśī Khaṇḍa, though this verse emphasizes mantra-vidhi rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A specific method of mantra-formation using elements like tāra (praṇava), bindu-ending, and additional syllabic components.